A New Leaf Turned
by Wise Waters
Summary: They were gone, killed. Home was no more, set a blaze by him. Him The White Snake. Now? I'm in a world outside the walls in the beyond. The elder said to head east. Towards the rising sun to the new dawn, to a new life. Sent to seek the shadowed Flame, I have no idea of what to expect in these new lands. At lest I have my storm with me. Soz if sum is bad, this is my first fic.


Hello all wise waters here, this is my first Fan fiction story that I've ever done. I work hard to try and refine the plot of the story to something more original and realistic. I just hope that all that read this first chapter like it. In the authors notes there are the names I use and the means, I hope it helps with the story. Also under the speech there is a key to the text types I use and what they mean.

I would really like some feedback by reviews or Pms from this chapter as I have not used a beta reader. (If anyone would like to help me with that by beta reading some of my chapters' please pm me. I would really like the help)

Oh before I forget the Disclaimer!

**_Disclaimer: I do not own the anime or manga of Naruto, only the OC characters that I place in the story and I do not intend to make any sort of money off this fan fiction. It is published purely for the pleasure of writing it and the imaginative freedoms I wish to share with others._**

Dose that Disclaimer cover everything needed? I feel it did, tell if you feel it doesn't and what you feel it does not cover.

**_~Authors notes~_**

Sorami Hotaru – Beautiful sky Firefly

Air partner: Arashi – storm

Elder Fusao - Wise man

**_~Speech~_**

****"Talking"

_'Thinking'_

~Scene Change~

_Flashback_

_~Voices in Hotaru's head ~_

**_Written words in the message_**

_Elder Fusao writing _

~The Beyond the Ridge ~

_ 'Why?' _

_'Why did it happen?'_

As these thoughts ran through my head I came to rest on a tree branch large enough to support several men, just a mile from the Valley's East Ridge wall. Panting I looked around, fear rose in me…I was… in the… Beyond!

The beyond is a place that we did not know much about, other it's just beyond the protection of the valley. Beyond the protection of home… we would never come here by choice.

So what am I doing here? I was forced too.

I had to escape, to run… flee from our home.

Voices that I would never hear again, whispered desperately to me the words of warning that all the people of the valley knew of.

_~Forbidden... ~_

_~It's forbidden to go there! ~_

_~You must not…~_

_~You must never go there! ~_

_~It's safer within…~_

_~Stay within the walls! ~_

_~Don't seek for death…~_

_~Never seek the beyond! ~_

The warnings brought a new flood of tears to my eyes. Even beyond the grave my people where watching over me, they were watching me weep for the loss of our home…

My name is Hotaru, it means firefly. When I was younger I asked my parents why they called me Hotaru. They said it's was because the night I was born, the village was full of dancing fireflies their light aglow like earth bound stars.

The village now… well it is gone.

How do I know this? I've seen the black smoke, I've heard the wind whispering screams, and I've smelt the burning flesh.

The village was beautiful; it lay in the center of the valley basin. A calm river flowed through the valley; from the west ridge waterfall, around the west waterfall was where the growing field were following the path of the river. The growing fields stop a short while before the borders of the village but the path of the river continued to the far eastern lake, the lake was surrounded by thick lush green forest.

My favorite places to think in the valley were in the forest lying on a tree branch just listening to the birds singing and nature's lullaby. And on the shore side of the lake some times when the wind ceased to blow and the lake was still it would perfectly reflect the sky, a mirror image of the world.

I just wish I could wake up from this dream to say it's a nightmare, to wake up and see the village full of life and the people I love. To know it was not burn to the ground by a White Snake.

To run through the roads and see the mothers with their children shopping in the market, the farmers selling their crops, the blacksmiths repairing tools, the teacher teaching the appreciates in trades. To be greeted by the elders' smiles from the village hall…

To feel the villages Aura, to know I'm not alone in the world…. To know it was not burn to the ground by a White Snake.

But I will never wake up from this dream, because this is not a dream. The really are all gone.

_'I really am alone in the world…' _I think as new tears threaten to fall I start doubting myself and my will to see another day.

_'No!' _I mentally shout, clenching my fists tightly.

_'I'm not alone I have Arashi… and I have that scroll!'_

_'The one he delivered from the elders with their message, that scroll contains scrolls that hold all the village and valley history, as well as any knowledge that the elders placed in there about the training that I still need to finish' _I think sighing, relaxing slightly.

_'Shit! My training…' _I tense and new thoughts of worry fill my head_._

_'Will it still be the same without anyone to guide me?' _

Closing my eyes I cleared my mind and calming myself, a new determination kindled within me or was it the embers of what was rekindled anew for the world to see in the fire in my eyes.

_'No I must trust in the elders, they will have sealed all the training knowledge in the scrolls for me.' _I thought.

"Now I just have to survive, and try to find these Great Leaves that the elders speak of in their message" I said aloud to myself. Needing to hear a human voice even if it is my own, I needed the familiarity of the sound the comfort that it would bring.

"Now where did Arashi get off to?" I questioned myself.

"Aaarrrr…"

"Sorami Hotaru you're starting to sound crazy, talking to yourself."

"Really…?" I started to argue with myself. To anyone else that saw this they would think I was having a mental breakdown or was already crazy. Talking to one's self and then to start argue with one's self. I can see why they would think that.

Just as I was about to start ranting off to myself a rabbit carcass fell into my lap…

"What the hell!" I exclaimed jumping up, the carcass lies still on the branch from slipping from my legs.

Looking around I start to search for the reason for the falling flesh of doom. I soon find it siting on a thinner branch not two feet above me…

"Araaashhiii…" I yell.

"What are you doing, you Dam bird?" I curse.

"Are you trying to kill me with flying rabbits?" I question him.

"Flying rabbits…umm… aren't pigs meant to be the ones to fly?" I ask wondering.

"Err…"

"Never mind I am getting off track." I say as I pause to calm my still fast beating heart.

Looking straight into his eyes I say in a calm voice. "But seriously were you trying to kill me Arashi?"

Blink… twitch…

Blink… twitch…

Double blink… twitch… twitch…

Nothing the bird just blinks at me looking innocent… to innocent if you ask me and he gave me a dam twitch. Great…

**_Grrrrr… (Feed me)_**

Sighing I give up with the staring contest with Arashi and finally ask him "Is that why you dropped the rabbit on me? Because you knew I was hungry…"

Arashi nodded.

I realized he must have felt my hunger through the bond we share.

"Sorry Arashi, I still forget that you can feel things like that through the bond. I'm still getting used to it still even though we've been connected for about three months. Can you forgive me, my Aura bound?" I ask while looking at Arashi.

Arashi just nods his feathered head.

Accepting his answer I pick up the rabbit carcass as I leap to the forest floor, looking up from my position on the ground I notice how dark it was getting.

_'It's getting dark rather fast out here. I need to make camp, first better start with the fire. I still have no idea how different it is out here from the valley. There may be predators that I've never meet before about, and I don't want to be eaten in my sleep.'_

I start to make camp, starting with a large fire and plenty of firewood piled beside it. Then I focus on a shelter for the night, which was not that hard to make considering that I was in a strange new world. But at least I had two comforts, Arashi and being in the familiar environment of the forest. I had already recognized some of the plants and trees. Here I knew I could survive because I knew how it was part of the training every one of the village people went through, forest survival. It was where everyone always met their Bond partners.

_'I was only four months into my training when I had to flee.'_

Finishing the shelter I settle by the fire, I start to prepare and cook the rabbit Arashi bought me. I start to recall the memory of how I met Arashi.

Flashback

_I was in my first month of training in the forest, when I stumbled upon a young bird that fell from its nest in the storm the night just gone by. When I say I stumbled upon him I mean I literately tripped over the dang thing… _

_Anyways I soon returned him to his nest. What I did not know at the time was that as soon as I left it in its nest the (dammed to hell) fledgling started to follow me._

_It was not till five mile worth of walking later that I notice it following me and I ignore it. I continue with my normal routine of clearing up camp, traveling, learning and setting up camp. Then the same the next day, my little shadow followed me for two days straight. I soon grow tired of the bird's following and turned to confront the creature, as soon as I looked into his eyes I felt the bond. _

_Just how the teachers said it would feel, it felt like I was seeing myself through another's eyes. I was seeing from his eyes I saw a young girl of eight maybe nine. With rich brown hair that in the light had a red sheen to it, said hair was in a low braid that reached her shoulder blades in length. The girl wore a loose but well fit top the sleeves flared at the ends near her wrists, the color of a pale sandy yellow almost cream. The top hung loosely ending at her hip, her trousers were a plain brown color that ended near touching the ground. On her feet she wore plain open ended sandals; her cloths were ones that she could grow into for a while. _

_After that once in a lifetime event I let the fledgling ride on my shoulder, after a while I thought of the perfect name for him. Arashi which meant Storm in memory of the fated storm that made him fall from his nest and in honor of Arashi's persistence when he followed me for days on end, like a never ending storm._

End of Flashback

Blinking my eyes I withdraw myself from the welcoming darkness of sleep, looking round to the fire I see that needs feeding again. I quickly realise that I fell asleep while the rabbit was cooking…

_'NOOOOO!'_

I start to search the embers for the carcass; there it is now just burnt flesh nothing worth eating left.

'_I'm still hungry…' _I think as I look at the wasted rabbit dinner. Looking to the sky I see the sun is just rising.

'_Dawn… there should be enough light for me to forage for something to eat. It's that or waking Arashi to hunt… foraging it is then.'_ I knew that waking Arashi too early was like unleashing a hell-hound upon one's self and I did not have a death sentence.

After an hour or so I finial have enough to eat and tided me over till later. I sit by the newly fed fire to devour my prize. When I finish eating I realize that I need a plan, decide to read the elders letter again in the better light.

The message read…

**_To our Little Firefly _**

**_I write this to you knowing hoping that this reaches you and that you are safe. _**

**_Hotaru you now we love you with all our hearts and only wish to see you safe from harm. I'm sorry, little one by you cannot return to the village because there most likely won't be a village by the time Arashi gets to you. When Arashi reaches you we will have gone to join our forefathers in their passing. _**

**_Something terrible is going to happen to the village Elder Fusao has seen it, he's never been wrong before. The elder has a message for you as well, he says this… _**

_Flee east. Past the most eastern reaches of the valley, past the walls._

_Into the beyond you must flee to escape The White Snake. _

_Into the beyond run, hide, survive. _

_Find them... they and he who trained the snake. _

_Seek the Leaves and those they hide, with a shadowed flame dull with age. There you must to live become one with the will of flames. Fanning the embers of the spirit of flame, into the greatest inferno…_

_With you we will go, with you our ways will not die or be lost to the sands of time… with you we will live on forever. _

_You are never alone child, if you ever feel alone in the world with no one to look to. Look in your heart child, which is where we will always be. _

_There we will rest for you carry our hopes, our dreams, and our future. _

**_Firefly I know this may not make sense now but it will I promise you this it will with time, you're only young grow with age, grow with strength, grow with kindness and grow with our ways. We have sealed all that we can for you in the scroll; it contains scrolls for your continued training and any and knowledge we could seal this the limited time we were given._**

**_ I know I don't need to remind you of this but you must finish your training or you will not live to see your twenty-fifth birthday. The elders have a feeling that Arashi will not be your only bound partner._**

**_Little firefly we love you never forget this, no matter what anyone tells you differently. _**

**_We Love You Hotaru. _**

**_You will always be our little dancing firefly, so never let your light go out._**

**_Love you Firefly… _**

**_From all in the village… and the elders._**

Sighing I contemplate everything written to me, I reread the elder's words.

A new fire aflame in my soul burns brighter that the sun, new inner-strength gathers with in me.

'East he said, so its East I will go '

I set up clearing the camp leaving no trace I was there, facing the rising sun the west winds to my back. Arashi resting on my shoulder I leap into the trees, into a new dawn and a new day. The night is always the darkest just before the dawn, before the new day. Before a new life the turning of a new leaf must happen. That is what I am doing turning my own leaf to start anew in lands unknown…

Well I hope that was a good beginning to start the story off with. Well it is one in the morning and my bed is call to me, so I better go. I hope that the readers of this chapter will take the time to review my work for me, so that I may continue to grow in the future and write more enjoyable works.

This is goodbye from Wise Waters, have a good day and night where every you the reader are J


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